“Rocky Mountain Columbine Cluster”

On March 21, 2022 By Mike U.In Photography45 Comments

F39-1(S)—Rocky Mountain Columbine Cluster, Taylor Mesa, SW Colorado
One long-ago overcast summer afternoon I wound my way along a lonely dirt road on Taylor Mesa in the mountains of southwest Colorado. I was looking for wild flowers, and it was the height of the season for columbines. I came upon a lush meadow which was liberally sprinkled with these flowers and others, and as I stopped and began to walk around, this cluster fairly screamed at me for attention. It was as though they had expected my arrival and had dressed up in their Sunday-best and posed for me. I was more than willing to oblige them. The lighting was perfect for wild flower photography—high overcast, no shadows, brilliantly saturated colors—and the verdant green of the meadow provided an ideal background to make the flowers’ colors pop. Columbines are beautiful, but being long-stemmed, they tend to move around in even the merest suggestion of a breeze. Fortune smiled upon me that afternoon, however, and the day was calm and tranquil. In a strange way, the manner in which these four flowers are posed reminds me of a choir, and I can imagine them singing nature hymns in voices only mountains and trees and clouds can hear. (Canon gear, Fuji Velvia ISO 50)

“Sunset at Cape Arago”

On March 18, 2022 By Mike U.In Photography37 Comments

W1-2(S)–Sunset at Cape Arago, Cape Arago State Park, Oregon Coast
Cape Arago State Park is located along the southern Oregon Coast between Coos Bay and Bandon. I spent Christmas Eve of 1995 photographing the southern coast in shirt-sleeve weather and ended up at Cape Arago as evening set in. I wasn’t disappointed. The late magic-hour lighting was glorious and painted the cliffs a magnificent orange, while pastel pinks, purples and blues added a delicate touch to the frothing sea. I wasn’t there long enough to explore, unfortunately. I wasn’t able to visit the lighthouse, which was the only one along Oregon’s coast that I missed. I had plans to return to do more photography, but I ended up relocating back to Utah three weeks after this image was made and I haven’t been back to Oregon since. How I miss the Pacific Northwest… It will always be my heaven on Earth. (Canon gear, Fuji Velvia (ISO 50)

“Featured Blogger of the Week” at Mitch Teemley’s The Power of Story Blog

On March 16, 2022 By Mike U.In Uncategorized40 Comments

Hey, folks. It’s my honor to announce I’ve been selected as the “Featured Blogger of the Week” at Mitch Teemley’s The Power of Story blog. I’d like to thank Mitch for his kindness in recognizing my blog, and would also like to encourage you to visit Mitch’s blog to see the featured post here and more (his blog is exceptionally cool!). Many thanks to Mitch and to all who take the time to read my poetry and view my nature photography. It means the world to me. 🙂

“Rock Formation & Moon at Dusk”

On March 15, 2022 By Mike U.In Photography21 Comments

D38-1(S)—Rock Formation & Moon at Dusk, Bisti Badlands, NW New Mexico
The Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness is a sprawling badlands featuring fascinating formations known as hoodoos. These strange formations appear as spires, pillars and other twisted shapes, and consist of sandstone, mudstone, silt, coal and shale. Fossils can be found as well. “Bisti” and “De-Na-Zin” are Navajo for “a large area of shale hills” and “cranes,” respectively. (info courtesy U.S. Bureau of Land Management) I explored this region one day and was amazed at the various shapes and colors of the place. This image is a strange one, however, not because of the rock formations, but due to the bizarre rendering of the evening sky. I used a 24mm f/2.8 wide-angle lens with a polarizer to capture this scene at dusk. A polarizer is a filter that eliminates glare and reflections from surfaces, increases color saturation and contrast, and removes atmospheric haze. Anyone who has worn polarized sun glasses understands this effect. The combination of a polarizer and a wide-angle lens can create some odd sky properties, however, and this can be used for artistic effect as it was here. During the morning and evening hours, the sky displays a range of tones. Wide-angle lenses capture a large swath of the sky and tend to exaggerate this. A polarizer further dramatizes this by darkening sections of the sky by means of eliminating haze, depending on the angle of the lens axis in relationship to the light source. The result can be quite disconcerting, as pictured here. To me, this represents an alien landscape under unfamiliar skies. This same scene without the polarizing effect would be completely different and lack the character this image offers. To top it all off, the moon is depicted as a mere pinprick due to the wide-angle lens, creating a distant, apathetic and lonely feel in the scene. (Canon gear, Fuji Velvia ISO 50)

“Chimney Rock & Courthouse Mountain”

On March 12, 2022March 25, 2022 By Mike U.In Photography28 Comments

M20-1(S)—Chimney Rock & Courthouse Mountain, Owl Creek Pass, SW Colorado
Years ago, I was exploring near Ridgway, a tiny town in the San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado. I had photographed the famous Sneffels Range prior to that and was driving along and noticed a sign that said “Owl Creek Pass.” On a lark, I took the road and sort of stumbled across this scene in the Cimarron Range. I’d never heard of Chimney Rock and Courthouse Mountain and was surprised I’d never seen it in any of my photography books, magazines or calendars (this was during my pre-internet days). It’s a startlingly majestic place. I was there just as the leaves were turning, but it was a bit early as far as capturing the brilliant fall colors of that area. This is a place I’d love to revisit to observe its changing personality during different seasons and weather. The San Juan Mountains are world-renown for stunningly beautiful landscapes that would take a lifetime to photograph. (Canon gear, Fuji Velvia ISO 50)

“Miniature Pot Rose”

On March 9, 2022 By Mike U.In Photography35 Comments

F65-1(S)–Miniature Pot Rose, SE Utah
I don’t have many studio images, which makes sense because I never had a studio or a proper lighting kit. I learned to improvise. I photographed this miniature pot rose in the living room in a make-shift studio many years ago. I thumb-tacked a dark blanket to the ceiling to provide a black background and used lighting from a west-facing window to illuminate the rose. I also employed a whiteboard reflector to bounce some fill-light onto the flower to eliminate harsh shadows. I like the sensuous curve of the stem and the hint of leaves at the bottom. The blood-red hue of the petals really stands out against the dark background. The blossom of the rose was only about an inch in diameter. I’ve always loved flower photography, whether it was in the field or a temporary studio indoors. The advantage of shooting flowers indoors is that I could control the elements (no wind, customized lighting, etc.). I prefer wild flower images made out-of-doors, however. The experience is more profound as I have nature’s symphony of sights, scents and sounds all around me as I compose a shot. Still, I love this image. It is natural beauty even if it was made in an ad hoc living room studio years ago. (Canon gear, Fuji Velvia ISO 50)

“Old Stump & Island at Sunset”

On March 6, 2022 By Mike U.In Photography35 Comments

W53-1(S)—Old Stump & Island at Sunset, Flathead Lake, Montana
During my trip to Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota in 1996, my buddy Jeff and I visited Flathead Lake, the largest natural body of freshwater in the western U.S. This resulted in one of my favorite images. There’s something so stark and mournful about this scene. To me, the stump resembles an animal crying out in pain to the oblivious heavens. This was shot on color slide film but the lighting conditions rendered it almost completely black and white, which lends a surreal touch to the image. I could have used a graduated neutral density filter to hold back exposure on the sky and give it some color, but it was dusk anyway and the sky was a faded, washed-out blue which appears almost devoid of hue in the final image, an effect I prefer for this scene. The water wasn’t completely calm but the long exposure removed all traces of wavelet movement and produced an almost mist-like appearance. My friend Jeff and I were at the same spot at the same time, and his image of this stump was completely different from mine. It’s fascinating how people can interpret the same scene in vastly distinct and personal ways. (Canon gear, Fuji Velvia ISO 50)

“The Bonfire”

On March 4, 2022June 18, 2023 By Mike U.In Poetry36 Comments

“The Bonfire”
(c) 2022 by Michael L. Utley

in our exuberance to burn the words
Bradbury sagely nods and Orwell sighs
as shock-troopers corral the motley herds
and churlish masses watch with sullen eyes

bonfires glow red in every city square
eight thousand million names recited there
black smoke and fetid fumes assault the air
as filthy faces flicker in the glare

the Keepers of the Words arrive anon
in every town and burg in all the lands
and silence drops like cluster bombs upon
the billions gathered, and within their hands

the Keepers of the Words display The Tome
wherein all words of man have found their home
brought forth from dark cob-webby catacomb
a vade mecum in the darkling gloam

and with the fall of night the Keeper speaks
to all assembled round the burning pyre
“The time has come for every man who seeks
to purge his mind and cleanse his soul in fire…

“To speak one’s mind is tantamount to sin;
tomes with the thoughts of others writ within
shall lead you to the darkness and the din
of hellfire and the madness found therein…

“And so, to save your soul and cleanse your heart
Dear Leader, in his love and lenity,
has offered you a choice: from words depart
and rollick in silent indemnity,

“or immolate your filthy craven mind
and burn to ashes your pathetic rind–
obedience is bliss; the fire unkind
live silently, or fry in flames refined.”

smoke from the bonfire eddies in the night
as nervous glances dart among the crowd
and hands grip slips of paper, knuckles tight
where words are scrawled to soon be read aloud

the Keeper of the Words begins the rite
and summons forth the first name of the night
and from the crowd a man steps toward the light
his gait unsure, his face an ashen white

“Your word, comrade,” the Keeper’s voice demands
“or else the fire…it’s up to you, good sir…”
and from the paper held in shaking hands
he reads a single solitary word

“Freedom…”

then with a cry the guards drag him away
and Keeper of the Words calls out to say
“The word ‘freedom’ is stricken forth this day
from mankind’s lexicon…small price to pay…

“…for one’s life, is it not?” and with a grin
announces the next name, and from the pack
a ragged woman, elderly and thin
approaches bravely, never looking back

“Your word, comrade…” the Keeper starts to say
“You’ll have no word of mine, not on this day
or any day!” the woman says, a fey
expression of defiance aimed his way

and crumpling her paper in her ire
she drops it on the ground and cries aloud
then launches her old body toward the fire
and burns as horror overwhelms the crowd

“Her word was ‘love,’” the Keeper says, amused,
“and though this woman steadfastly refused
to sacrifice this word, someone will choose
to strike it from existence,” and bemused

he calls another name, and then the next
and on it went throughout the endless night
as words like hope and peace fell from the text
of Keeper’s Tome, and love faded from sight

and in the end, at breaking of the day
we all depart and make our solemn way
into a silent world of empty grey
with nothing left for anyone to say

…..

(This poem is inspired by the recent rash of censorship being pushed by the republican party here in America, where books are being banned and even burned as right-wing radicals promote fear, lies and hatred aimed at people of color and marginalized groups. Also, in many places across the globe, freedom of speech is under siege as authoritarian regimes crack down on those who speak truth and expose their evil deeds. As writers, we cannot allow this to happen. We have voices; we must use them to ensure all people are free to speak their minds.)

“Sandstone Cliff & Tower”

On March 3, 2022May 12, 2022 By Mike U.In Photography31 Comments

NP4-1(S)–Sandstone Cliff & Tower, Big Spring Canyon, Canyonlands Natl. Park, SE Utah
Canyonlands National Park in southeast Utah is known for its expansive canyons, sprawling mesas and towering sandstone pinnacles. It also has an infinite variety of more intimate landscapes such as this rock formation standing sentinel above a small canyon. Not everything has to be immense to hold beauty and meaning. I like the contrasting colors, rugged textures and the hint of towers in the background, as well as the sky which seems to go on forever. On this day, two of my young nephews accompanied me (babysitter Uncle Mike) and I had to keep an eagle eye on them as all they saw were rocks and all they wanted to do was climb them. I had the boys nestled in an alcove off to the left to ensure their safety while I composed this image, then we explored some more and had a fun time. (Canon gear, Fuji Velvia ISO 50)

“She was Six”

On March 1, 2022August 13, 2023 By Mike U.In Poetry40 Comments

“She was Six”
(c) 2022 by Michael L. Utley

she was six
and on the wrong side
of a tyrant’s bomb sights
her small broken body
no match for
the shells and the hell
that befell
her country
city
neighborhood
block
home
her blood the price
of freedom
she was six

she was six
and on the wrong corner
of the wrong intersection
at the wrong time
as gang-bangers
threw lead
and fled
as she bled
just a typical night
in a typical city
she was six

she was six
and in the wrong classroom
at the wrong school
as a true patriot
flexed his might
and exercised his 2A right
to murder school children
another day
in the USA
she was six

she was six
and the wrong color
at the wrong border
snatched from her parents
caged like an animal
lost in the system
as racist thugs
praise god and country
and build their wall
one sin at a time
she was six

she was six
and the wrong religion
in the wrong village
her captors didn’t care
she didn’t last long enough
to stain their conscience anyway
all in the name of god
she was six

she was six
and on the wrong side of town
hollow eyes and empty stomach
the manic cackle of inhumanity
the soundtrack of her life
bruised body and soul
this dark alleyway to hell
her only escape
she was six

we have lost our way